Key-fastener.



W. SABlN.

KEY FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. I916- RENEWED AUG. 26. 191B.

1,300,489 Patented A r. 15,1919.

WI iNESSES; INVENTOR.

m: mmxu PETERS cu, rnam-Llrna. wAsNmnwN a c WILLIAM SABIN, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

KEY-FASTENER.

Specification or Iiettefs Patent.

Patented. Apr. 15, 1 919.

Application filed February 28, 1916, Serial No. 80,863. Renewed August 26, 1918. Serial No. 251,540.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 'SABIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 3240 Sacramento street, in the city and 5 county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Key- Fastener; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap and simple, but absolutely secure device to prevent the use of skeleton keys, lock picks, and other methods of unlocking common tumbler locks on doors of hotels, apartments, dwellings, etc, against the will of the owner or occupant of the premises, and also provide a device which shall be proof itself against picks, pincers, etc. Another obgect is to provide a device which is small enough to be carried in a ladys purse or in the pocket like a key, and which also may be left in place in the lock when not in use, at

the same time keeping the key in place, thus avoiding the annoyances from loss or misplacement by the slamming of the door. The device aforesaid consists of a clamp and a guide bar attached together so as to hold a key securely in the locked position in a lock.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the device with the key in the locked position. Fig. 2 represents a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the device with the clamp dropped down out of the way of the key, and is the position in which the device may be left in the key hole. Fig. 4 represents the plan of the blank from which the heart or triangular-shaped part of the clamp is formed.

The clamp consists of the parts designated by the numerals 5 and 6 on the drawing. The part 5 is stamped out of sheet metal with hook shaped lugs at each end and holes for riveting to guide bar 2. This piece 5 is doubled back on itself at its center for a distance of about i}; inch, to form the spindle, and the ends of the piece are then bent into the form of the outline of a heart, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the doubled portion, or spindle, being threaded as shown. The thumb nut 6 is concaved on the inner side so as to conform to the oval shape of the bow of the key and clasp it in such a way that it can be released by unscrewing the thumb nut but can not be released in any other Way; that is to say, it cannot be released from outside the premises by passing a piece of steel, or similar instrument, through the key hole and pushing the device up or down and off the key, nor by rotation of the key. By means of the hook-shaped lugs above mentioned and the thumb nut 6 the bow of the key is thus securely engaged at three points, practically equidistant, which insures the maximum of rigidity and security. The bow spring 3 is folded about the end of the guide bar 2 and the rivet 4E secures both the bow spring 3 and the piece 5 to the guide bar 2, as shown in Fig. 2. The bow spring 3 presses against the sides of the outside escutcheon plate and keeps the key fastener from falling out when not in use, as indicated in Fig. 3. The extreme end of the threaded spindle is flattened slightly or otherwise burred to prevent the thumb nut 6 being lost.

In use the key is inserted and turned a quarter turn in the locking direction; then guide bar 2 is inserted and may be left in this position as it is held in place by the pressure of the bow spring 3 against the sides of the outside escutcheon plate. When desired to secure the lock, the key is turned and the door locked in the usual way, leaving the key in the locked position, 2'. 6., with bow and bit in a horizontal position; the clamp 5 is then brought up into position with the hooked lugs thereof engaging the bow of the key at the back and the thumb nut 6 is set up hard against the head of the bow. When desired to unlock the door the thumb nut 6 is released by imscrewing and the clamp 5 is disengaged from the bow of the key and turned down as shown in Fig. 3; then the key may be used in the usual Way for unlocking. The key fastener and key may be both left in this position when not in use as it is not necessary to remove the device in looking or unlocking the door, thus guarding against losing or misplacing either key fastener or key itself.

I am aware that prior to my invention key fasteners have been made some with a screw clenched clamp engaging the stem of the key and others with a spring clip fitting over the bow of the key. I therefore do not claim 105 such combinations broadly; but

I claim: In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, 1The combination in gkey' fasltener 0; a,-v in presencej of two witnesses; I 0 am), having-two 1100 -shaped 'ug"s an" Q threa ded spindle bur-red or flattened at. the WILLIAM SABIN 5 extreme end with a thumb nut having a. Witnesses: V concaved side and worlnng on said threaded CHAS. H. LAYN'E,"

spindle, all substantially as set forth. J. HARRY MGPHEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents, each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0;"'- a 

